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Dr. Arthur Carrington
Dr. Arthur Carrington was a scientist stationed at American Arctic research station, Polar Expedition Six. The character appears in the 1951 film The Thing from Another World and was portrayed by actor Robert Cornthwaite. History A U.S. Air Force re-supply crew is officially dispatched by General Fogerty from Anchorage, Alaska at the unusual request of Dr. Carrington, chief of a group of scientists working at an Arctic research station, Polar Expedition Six. They have evidence that an unknown flying craft of some kind crashed nearby. Doctor Carrington briefs the airmen, and Doctor Redding shows high speed photos of an object moving downward, up and on a straight line - not the movements of a meteor. Captain Patrick Hendry wonders to the doctor, "Twenty thousand tons of steel is an awful lot of metal for an airplane." "It is for the sort of aeroplane we know, Captain," Carrington responds. From Geiger counter readings, Hendry's crew and the scientists fly to the crash site aboard the supply team's ski-equipped C-47. The craft is buried in the ice, with a vertical stabilizer protruding from the surface. They are shocked to discover that the shape of the craft is that of a flying saucer. They try to free it with thermite heat explosives, but in doing so accidentally destroy the craft. Crew Chief Sergeant Bob's geiger counter locates a body nearby, frozen in the ice. They excavate the tall body, preserving it in a large ice block and return to the research outpost as a major storm moves in, making communication with Anchorage very difficult. Some scientists want to thaw out the creature immediately, but Hendry orders everyone to wait until he receives orders from Air Force authorities. As a result of an accident the creature thaws out, revives and escapes to the outside cold. It wards off an attack by twelve sled dogs, and the scientists recover an arm, bitten off by the dogs. As the arm warms up, it ingests the blood from one of the dogs and begins to come back to life. They learn that, while appearing humanoid, the creature is in fact an advanced form of plant life. Dr. Carrington is convinced that the creature can be reasoned with and has much to teach them, but Dr. Chapman and other colleagues disagree. The Air Force men are just as sure it may be dangerous. Carrington soon realizes that the creature requires blood to reproduce. He later discovers the hidden body of a sled dog, still warm, drained of blood, in the greenhouse. He has volunteers from his own team, Dr. Voorhees, Dr. Olsen and Dr. Auerbach, stand guard overnight, waiting for the creature's return. Meanwhile, Carrington secretly uses blood plasma from the infirmary to incubate and nourish seedlings he has taken from the arm, failing to advise his colleagues or Capt. Hendry of what he has done, or of having found the bodies of Olsen and Auerbach, drained of blood. Dr. Stern is almost killed, but escapes to warn the others. Nikki reluctantly updates Hendry when he asks about missing plasma and confronts Carrington in the greenhouse, where he sees that the seed pods which the Thing has planted have grown at an alarming rate. Dr. Wilson advises Carrington that he hasn't slept, but Carrington is unconcerned. After igniting the creature it flees outside, however Nikki notes that the temperature inside the station is dropping quickly, probably due to a cut fuel line. The cold forces the scientists and the airmen to make a final stand in the generator room. They rig a booby trap, hoping to electrocute the thing. As the creature advances on them, Carrington twice tries to save it, once by shutting off the power, and then by trying to reason with the creature directly. It throws him aside, before falling into the trap and being reduced to a smouldering husk. Trivia *Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. notes that the character of Sander Halvorson in his 2011 prequel film The Thing was a tribute to 1951 film The Thing from Another World. Presumably as a homage to Dr. Arthur Carrington, with whom the character shares many characteristics. Images Thingfromanotherworld2.jpg References Category:Characters Category:Characters (1951 film) Category:Deceased characters